Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Well, I'm wrapping up my Thanksgiving dishes. I thought I would post a little spin on one of our traditional pies. Here in the South it is very customary to have Pecan Pie on the dessert table (along with about a dozen other items). I decided to try these Pecan Tartlets. These little sweets are just so cute and absolutely worth the time to make them. I will say that the amount of filling was far more than needed for the dough. I suppose that's what happens when you start mixing recipes :) Next time, I will probably double the dough. When I was making this today, my filling cup overfloweth. So I tried a few variations. First I made the recipe that is listed below. Then when I ran out of dough, I tried plain pie crust. I just cut rounds out and fit them in the mini muffin pan. I must say, I did not like the pie crust. They are the smaller tarts in the picture above. They did not look impressive, nor taste impressive. There was just not enough sweetness, and the crust/filling ration just seemed off. But, then again, I like my desserts SWEET. My husband has determined that I like desserts that curl your toes. You can make your own assumption as to what that means :)

Anyways, when I ran out of pie crust, I decided to use some sugar cookie dough that I had in the freezer. That worked well and tasted great. But the original recipe is still my favorite. If you are short on time, I would recommend using sugar cookie dough. But, the recipe below is so good, at some point you should really give it a try. One more plus to these little tartlets: they are freezable! I love things that freeze well. I'm going to freeze whatever is left, if there is any, for a jewelry party I'm having next week. My mother would say I was just "so smart" for thinking of that, I call it a mother of two small children desperate for time! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Did you know that Paula Deen is one of my best buddies? OK,well, we could be if she just knew me. I even went to Savannah and ate at her restaurant hoping we could be buds. But, alas, apparently, she is a very busy lady and must not have know her "BFF-To Be" would be dropping in to have lunch with her :) Well, I did get to see her sons, they were working at the great Lady & Sons Restaurant. But, I did save myself the embarrassment (and my husband) and did not inquire about Paula's whereabouts. Seriously, I do love Paula. She is a fabulous cook! I have been a fan of Paula's before it was cool to be a fan. I don't think I have ever made a recipe of hers that was not great. Honestly, most of her recipes contain atleast a stick of butter. So how could it be bad?!?

Today's recipe is a spinoff of Paula's popular Gooey Butter Cake. And I must suggest, if you have never had Gooey Butter Cake, you really should try this too. You can find the link to Paula's Gooey Butter Cookies here. Her version is made with chocolate cake mix, but you can use any flavor cake mix. I found it easier to scoop the dough out with a small cookie scoop and drop it directly into a bowl of powdered sugar. You could also add chocolate chips or other variations. I think I may try that next time. These cookies are super rich, creamy cheesey, stick- to- your- teeth goodness. I know, that last sentence had words that didn't exist, but its early and that's how I felt about them. Enjoy!

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner's sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake. These cookies should not look brown. The cookies will remain soft and "gooey." Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Let me preface this recipe by saying that browned butter is not the same as burnt butter. I have been trying to explain this to my sweet husband several times today as he has asked "Are those the burnt butter rice krispies?" I'm starting to think he's just trying to get my goat:) Now, that being said there is less than a minutes difference in cooking time in browned butter and burnt butter. So....you do not want to be making this recipe while you are multi-tasking. It does require your full attention.When I first discovered this recipe, I just could not conceive that browning the butter could possibly make that big of a difference. But it really does. It has a much nuttier and buttery flavor. Who knew that you could improve on Rice Krispie Treats? Another interesting note if you have ever made hockey puck rice krispie treats (oh, you know you have, we all have!), the small amount of milk added to the marshmallows in this recipe helps prevent that outcome. These are creamy and chewy with a rich buttery flavor. Enjoy!

Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.Or a 9x13 pan pans if you do not want them so thick/tall.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently. This is the point that you are not allowed to multi-task or you will have burnt butter. Remember burnt butter does not equal browned butter.

As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows and milk. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth. Add the vanilla.

Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the cereal. Quickly spread into prepared pan. My "No stick" secret for spreading the mix into the pan is this: Pour all of the mixture into the pan and then I wet my handsbefore pressing it down. Just slightly wet them and all the mashmallow goo doesn't stick to them.Let cool, cut into squares. Childhood memories in a pan :)

I know this blog is primarily about recipes and I promise I will be posting another recipe later today. But I just had to take a minute to share a little life lesson. First let me say, I have wonderful inlaws. My husband's 2 sisters are both a few years older than me, so I have always respected their opinions and advice. My husband's younger sister has always told me "Never say Never." She used this in terms of "Never say you will not let your child sleep with you, because you probably will. (And she was right, they have both slept with me more than a few nights through their babyhood). In other words, never say you will absolutely not do something, because at some point down the road, you very well may end up doing that exact thing. I really have always thought that was great advice. But I must say, there have possibly been a few things that I just would not agree would ever happen unless Hell froze over. For example, through my entire life, either riding or driving through different areas of town, I know I have proclaimed "I will NEVER have household appliances and such sitting on my porch/yard, etc" or probably my more along the lines of "Hell will freeze over, before I ever live like that."

Seriously, there is just no sense in it. You can be a better person than that. Right? Well... Hell hath frozen over. As I walked past my backdoor this morning, this was the vision that I beheld.

I just had to laugh. I do have a good reason for that toilet to be sitting on the back porch. Well, I guess all those other people with household goods sitting in their yards have good reasons too :) But seriously, we have been having a little renovation done to our bedroom and bath. Well, the little renovation has now turned into a month long renovation. And ultimately will probably be 2 months by the time it is completely finished.

The moral of my story: my sister in law was right. You just never, ever, say you will never do something. And perhaps the next time I pass some of those individuals with toilets/washers/bathtubs, etc sitting in their yard, I will have a little more compassion for them. Well, atleast if its on their backporch or backyard. I mean, I will NEVER have all that junk in my front yard :)

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK, WITH PICTURES OF APPLIANCES IN THE FRONT YARD :)

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

I'm trying to be industrious this week. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I am trying to get some of my dishes premade (assuming they are freezable) and frozen. So next week, all I will have to do is thaw them, put the finishing touches on and bake. And with my desserts, all I will have to do is thaw them. Can you tell that I way over plan everything. Tis the reason I have been given the name "Trip Nazi" when we travel. You don't just get pegged with that name for no reason :) Anyways, my recipe today is a Chocolate Chip Pie. I'm not really sure how to describe it. But, if you like chocolate chip cookies, you will love this pie. Its somewhat gooey on the inside but the top comes out crisp (kind of like a cookie). Perhaps, that was not a great description, but all you need to know is that it is fabulous and it contains chocolate. Well, that was somewhat redundant. If it contains chocolate, obviously it is fabulous. So, let me try again, all you need to know is that it contains chocolate. Enough said. So go bake it right now!! If you are able, save it and freeze it for Thanksgiving. Or make 2. Eat one, save one. Enjoy!

Monday, November 16, 2009

I found this recipe online several years ago. It has become wildly popular among the world of internet cooking forums. And for good reason. It is very simple, very decadent and very impressive! Now...these are actually called "Cake Balls" if you are looking for them on the internet. But...the good southern girl in me cringes to call them by that name. See...I grew up in a family where there were just certain words you didn't say. Well, balls is one of those words. My mother could hear me mumble that word from the other end of the house and would come runnin to see just what context the word had been used in. "Its just so crude and unlady-like to use that word" she would say. I do realize that the word does not have to be a crude word (in reference to a man's private areas), but I think it better to just call them truffles, rather than balls. Just in case my momma does happen to pop by and read my little recipe blog:). It does have a nicer ring to it anyways.

So back to the recipe, these little truffles are really great. Take them to your holiday parties or give them as gifts. They will certainly be a hit! My little ones certainly love them, as do my hips. I glued around half a dozen to them over the weekend. But, I do believe it may have been worth it!

Bake cake in a 9x13 pan as directed on box. Cool. Crumble into a large bowl. Add container of frosting to cake crumbles. Mix well. Roll into small balls. Freeze for 30 min to 1 hour until firm. Melt almond bark per package instructions. Dip truffles and shake off excess. Quickly top with your topping of choice (this is optional, but it does make it look nice), the candy coating will set quickly on the frozen truffle. Place on wax paper to set.

*You can customize this recipe with any cake/icing combination for nearly any occassion. I used the funfetti cake mix and rainbow chip icing. This would be great for birthday/celebration/or just because its Monday :) Some of my favorites are Red Velvet Cake/Cream Cheese Icing, Lemon/Cream cheese/, Chocolate/Chocolate, Chocolate/German Chocolate Icing (Pecan-Coconut). Be creative with it!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

For some reason, I only allow myself to cook with pumpkin during the fall. Which is really quite a shame, because I really love pumpkin. But for some reason, it has been dedicated to my baking season from October to November. I would start in September, but its still very hot here in the South, so it technically cannot be considered fall if it is still in the 90's :) So, this last month, I have been baking this great Pumpkin Crumb Cake recipe. Its pretty versatile as you could add mini chocolate chips and/or pecans. It just gets me in the Fall mood! Very moist with a nice subtle pumpkin flavor and soft notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. This recipe makes a large amount of pumpkin loaves, but it freezes very well after baking. It would make a great christmas gift for teachers or co workers. Last night when I baked this, I ended up with 4 mini loaves, 24 mini muffins (only bake 9 min) and 6 mini bunt cakes (bake same amount as mini loaves). My husband was asking if I was trying to work something out through my baking because there were so many pumpkin loaves covering my counters :) Baking=My perfect stress relief!!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

I have been told that peanut butter runs through the veins of my husband and his family. I'm beginning to fear that one of my children may be disowned if they ever discover that peanut butter is not her favorite condiment. I, personally, do love peanut butter. And especially the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. Well....really, what doesn't combine well with chocolate? I think all those weirdos eating chocolate covered bugs have proven that for us :)

This recipe is very similar in taste to a peanut butter cup. I wouldn't say it was exact, but its as close as I think you can get without working in the Reese's factory. And best of all, this is a no bake recipe Enjoy!

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 inch pan.In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the prepared crust.Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.*Allow to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes before cutting so the chocolate does not crack.

Monday, November 9, 2009

when I first saw this recipe I thought the same thing. That just looks like a crazy mixture of ingredients. Despite the fact that you probably won't find this particular recipe laid out for dessert at your next woman's social banquet, this is good stuff!! I will admit, something about it is a little trashy. But, perhaps thats what makes it so good. The unexpected mixture. I would never have thought to mix Fritos and Peanut Butter Cups. But it works....its one of those weird things like dipping french fries into a Wendy's Frosty (all my girlfriends know what I'm talking about:) Its that perfect blend of salty and sweet that as women, we all crave!! I first saw this recipe here on Cookie Madness. Great blog, with lots of great recipes!!

Here is the recipe and my changes:

Sweet, Salty, Frito Candy

2 cups pretzels1 cup Fritos

8 peanut butter cups (regular sized)

1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Optional: Some peanuts for the top and Reese's PiecesPreheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 13×9 inch pan with parchment paper or no-stick (Release) foil (I used regular foil with no problem).Place pretzels in food processor and pulse to break – don’t pulverize Add fritos, pulse to break(I just crushed the Fritos and pretzels up by hand. Honestly, sometimes it just requires too much effort to drag out the food processor, especially if I don't know where all the parts are :) Dump into pan. Unwrap peanut butter cups (break each into 4 pieces) and throw them in the mix. It should look similar to this.

Place butter in a non-stick saucepan and melt over medium heat. When butter is melted, stir in brown sugar. Bring mixture to a full boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring once or twice. Pour over Frito mixture and bake for 8 minutes

Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over hot candy. Return to oven for 1 minute to soften chips. Spread softened chocolate chips over bars. Sprinkle with peanuts and Reese's Pieces.Cool at room temperature until you feel the pan is cool enough to be transferred to your refrigerator, then transfer to refrigerator to set the chocolate. When chocolate is set, lift from pan and break the candy up as you would toffee. You can eat it cold or let it come back down to room temp. It doesn’t have to be refrigerated.The finished product should look like this:

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Well, I've seen so many other fabulous food bloggers out there, I finally decided I wanted to give this a try myself. It seems I am making/creating sinful southern sweets on a regular basis, so perhaps I could share some of my yummy recipes with others. Baking is probably my favorite hobby. If I am needing to relax or have time to think something through, I bake. It is my release. Some people play golf, tennis, scrapbook, listen to music. I bake. And I try to bake, taste and get it out of my house as quickly as possible. It appears to adhear to my thighs and backside otherwise :) Or as one of my sister in laws always said "Why don't you just go ahead and super glue that cake to my a**, that's where its gonna end up anyways." And she is right, that is where its going, so I just gift away my creations. Which you know, as a southern girl, it appears that I am just being gracious and thoughtful when I'm sending out my 10 lbs of fudge to all those sweet friends of mine. Well, I'm really only doing myself a favor. So sit back and get ready for our little adventure of recipes to come. See Y'all later!

Should you need to contact me, please email me at sinfulsouthernsweets@hotmail.com. Sinful Southern Sweets is a PR friendly blog. If you believe you have a product that I might be interested in reviewing and/or offering as a giveaway on my blog, please contact me.

I'm a legal secretary turned stay-at-home mom to my two beautiful little girls. I am so blessed with a wonderful husband of almost 11 years who provides for us so that my little princesses and I can stay at home and play in the kitchen.You will sometimes see me refer to my oldest (6yrs) as Princess Runwild and my youngest (3 yr old) as Princess Runwilder or "our little indian boy" as my husband likes to call her due to her rough nature. They keep me busy, but give me a selection of occupations to choose from each day. I am a mom, doctor, nurse, cook, housekeeper, book reader, movie changer,taxi driver, magician, homemaker, toy selector/fixer, tv/phone/household object repair (broken by children, sometimes this falls under the magician title :), but I really do love "my job" I am so thankful to God for the chance to raise these beautiful children!